2006-04-14
Flora Springs Winery:
A Quarter Century for Ken Deis
by Richard Paul Hinkle
The folks over at Flora Springs are in the midst of graciously celebrating their winemaker, Ken Deis (as in “dice”), who is celebrating a quarter century at the Zinfandel Lane (St. Helena) winery. A Fresno state grad, the square-jawed Deis is a solid winemaker, benefiting greatly from the fact that the Komes family, which owns the winery, has more than 600 acres of Napa Valley vineland to draw from. “When you get to select fruit on that sort of scale, you really have the opportunity to make great wines,” says Deis, whose wife Evelyn has been Joseph Phelps’ personal assistant for the same quarter century that Ken has been at Flora Springs.
On the white side, Deis produces an exquisite Sauvignon Blanc called “Soliloquy,” a rich, oily Sauvignon Blanc produced from the Musque clone, known for its aromatic qualities and soft texture. “This vineyard produces grapes that are ripe, juicy and delicious,” he says. “The tropical fruits on the nose lead to flavors of melon, fig and gooseberry, with just a hint of vanilla. It’s got a long, smooth finish – that oiliness that you’re talking about, Rich – and there’s just a pinch of tartness in the finish to give the wine a little extra ‘zing.’” Makes the shellfish taste better, too, if you like that sort of thing.
After their first trip to Italy in the late ’80s, vineyardist Pat Garvey and his wife Julie Komes Garvey decided that the winery needed a little Italian flair. So they planted some Pinot Grigio and some Sangiovese, and brought out their “Flor-Italia” wines in 1992. The Pinot Grigio is a beauty, a white wine crisp with sandstone minerality and a fern-like floral hint that spreads out on the palate and induces a longing for filet of sole in a light butter sauce.
On the red side is their version of a “Super Tuscan” blend – it’s got Sangiovese, with a little Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon – entitled Poggio del Papa (literally, “The Pope’s Hillside,” for their Pope Valley property). At $35 the bottle, the 2002 vintage shows warm plum-like fruit, with a dusty iodine underlay that pushes the fruit forward. This is “fireplace food”: pasta, pizza, barbecue, ripe cheeses.
(One must mention the wonderfully dense, yet fluid “25th Anniversary” Cabernet 2002 made to honor Ken’s reign. Absolutely plush with cassis and black currant fruit, this $300/bottle beauty is something to taste, and will be something more to cellar.)
But the “regular” showcase wine at Flora Springs is Trilogy ($60), a red Bordeaux blend, splashed with green olive and black currant fruit that increasingly demonstrates how all five of the Bordeaux varieties influence one another.
To taste the wines for yourself, you need to find the tasting room on the southern edge of St. Helena – next door to Dean & Deluca (across the street from V. Sattui.).
The tasting room is housed in the old Sphinx Refrigerator building, and is awash with local artists’ works, from hand-painted silk ties, prints and posters to candles, ceramics and jewelry. The tasting counter has a replica of the notorious “Wine Train” that chugs around above, and all of the Flora Springs wines are available for tasting. The address is 677 St. Helena Highway South, St. Helena. Phone (707) 967-8032. Open daily 10-5, and picnic tables are available in the back yard. Tasting fee is $5 for estate wines and $8 for Reserve wines. Winery tours are available by prior appointment only through the winery at (707) 963-5711.
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